Create a Boot Environment

If you want to create a backup of an existing boot environment, for example, prior to modifying the original boot environment, you can use the beadm command to create and mount a new boot environment that is a clone of your active boot environment. This clone is listed as an alternate boot environment in the boot menu for the compute server.

1. Log in to the target compute server.

   localsys% ssh systemname -l root
   Password: 
   Last login: Wed Nov 13 20:27:29 2011 from dhcp-vpn-r
   Oracle Corporation SunOS 5.11 solaris April 2011
   root@sup46:~#
    

2. Manage ZFS boot environments with beadm.

   root@sup46:~# beadm list
    
   BE       Active    Mountpoint    Space    Policy     Created
   ----------------------------------------------------------
   solaris    NR          /         2.17G    static   2011-07-13 12:01
    

   ---

   Note - In the Active column, the first letter indicates the boot environment current status and the second letter indicates the status at next reboot. In the preceding example, N indicates the current (or Now) boot environment, while the R indicates which boot environment will be active at next reboot.

   ---

3. Create a new ZFS boot environment based on the current environment.

   root@sup46:~# beadm create solaris_backup
   root@sup46:~# beadm list
    
         BE       Active  Mountpoint Space  Policy     Created
   -----------------------------------------------------------------
   solaris         NR        /       2.17G  static   2011-07-13 12:01
   solaris_backup  -         -       35.0K  static   2011-07-17 21:01

4. Change to the next boot environment.

   root@sup46:~# beadm activate solaris_backup
   root@sup46:~# beadm list
    
         BE       Active  Mountpoint Space  Policy     Created
   -----------------------------------------------------------------
   solaris_backup  R         -       2.17G  static   2011-07-17 21:01
   solaris         N        /       1.86G  static   2011-07-13 12:01

5. Reboot to the new boot environment.

   root@sup46:~# reboot
   Connection to systemname closed by remote host.
   Connection to systemname closed.
   localsys% ssh systemname -l root
   Password: 
   Last login: Thu Jul 14 14:37:34 2011 from dhcp-vpn-
   Oracle Corporation SunOS 5.11 solaris April 2011
    
   root@sup46:~# beadm list
    
         BE       Active  Mountpoint Space  Policy     Created
   -----------------------------------------------------------------
   solaris_backup  NR        -       2.19G  static   2011-07-17 21:01
   solaris          -        /       4.12G  static   2011-07-13 12:01